Ex-Mayor to Survivors: 'You Are Strong at This Broken Place'

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April 15, 2014, 5:06 PM GMT

Thomas Menino, the former Boston mayor who was in office when the Boston Marathon bombings happened, was greeted with a standing ovation at a memorial service for victims a year after the attack.

“To the family and friends who will always miss their loved ones, you are strong at this broken place. To the victims whose long journey toward healing has just begun, you are strong at this broken place,” he told the packed convention center.

Menino, who stepped down after six terms, was roundly praised for his leadership through the tragedy. Two days before the attack, the mayor had undergone ankle surgery. At nationally broadcast prayer service, Menino rose from his wheelchair, grimacing in pain.

“It is a glorious thing, the love and strength that covers our city,” Menino said to the prayer service crowd. “It will push us forward, it will push thousands and thousands of people across the finish line next year. Because this is Boston, a city with courage, compassion and strength that knows no bounds.”

Vice President Joe Biden hailed Menino's remarks Tuesday during the memorial service, telling him "Your heart is as big as this city."